You were smiling
by KimOfDrac
Summary: George find it hard to accept Fred's death


You were smiling

You were smiling

A songfic based on Kelly Clarkson's "Haunted"

_Louder, louder  
The voices in my head  
Whispers taunting  
All the things you said  
Faster the days go by and I'm still  
Stuck in this moment of wanting you here_

George were sitting in the livingroom of the Burrow. It was raining outside. The windows to the left of him were sprinkled with pearly drops, knocking for entrance. It was like the sky cried with him. Shed the tears he wasn't strong enough to shed himself.

He just sat there, then closed his eyes, wishing it was just a nightmare.

"_Come on little brother" a young red headed boy yelled, running around on the lawn outside the Burrow. He held a large rubber spider in his hand._

"_You can't really call me 'little brother', I'm only minutes younger than you" another boy, looking just like his brother told him back, before running after him._

Their first prank. George remembered it like it had been yesterday. Only seven years old, and nearly scared their five year old brother to death with that spider.

"Yeah, that was fun" he heard someone say. He opened his eyes. No one there. It must have been his own mind spooking him.

"I miss you" George mumbled. "I want you here with me"

It felt like a wind blowing at him, and he heard the same voice again, whispering this time.

"I'm always with you"

He felt something in his chest, making the sore lump vanish, and he took a light, fresh breath. Just for a second, he thought he had woken up from his nightmare, only to find himself seated on the couch, with the rain still pouring outside.

_Time  
In the blink of an eye  
You held my hand, you held me tight  
Now you're gone  
And I'm still crying  
Shocked, broken  
I'm dying inside_

He couldn't help but to look at the pictures on the wall. Their first year at Hogwarts, standing proud infront of the camrea in their Gryffindor school uniforms, smiling. That picture brought him back to that very year, memories flashing inside his head.

"_George, what happened?" a soft voice of a young boy asked. The twins, both inside the Gryffindor common room, sat down next to the fireplace, one of them seemed very upset, nearly in tears._

"_I am so stupid" the other boy said unhappily, covering his face with his hands._

"_Tell me" his brother said, stroking his back in comfort._

"_I met that Alicia girl in the corridore. Oh, she's pretty" the sad boy said, shaking his head slightly. "I was going to say hi, but instead, my mouth acted on it's on of course, telling her she had a nice arse. Now I'll never get her to go out with me"_

_Normally, his brother would have laughed at this, but he didn't. Instead he just hugged him._

"_She does have a nice arse, and if she knows it, she will totally take it as a compliment"_

"_You think?" the sad boy asked, raising his head. The other just nodded, teasfully hitting him in the back of the head._

"_You're allready playing Don Juan. I haven't even though about dating. All though, that Angelina Johnson is quite a babe"_

George wanted that memory to make him laugh, instead it was the cause of his tears finally flowing. He felt so empty. Everything was too quiet, too still. It was so obvious he was gone.

"I won't live out the week without you" he said between sobs. Suddenly, the wind came back, stronger, colder, and the voice was louder.

"Don't even think about it"

He looked around. No one was there, but he could feel a presence. Something or someone next to him. It was unexplainable, but felt like an energy, just like sitting next to a person.

_Where are you?  
I need you  
Don't leave me here on my own  
Speak to me  
Be near me  
I can't survive unless I know you're with me_

"Is that you, Fred?" he whispered. The last tear was rolling down his face. There was no response. He pushed the thought out of his mind. Fred was dead! He had been killed by Rookwood, making a wall crack his skull.

Those thoughts did not help much.

"I'm so sorry" George whimpered. "I wasn't there to say good bye... to help you..."

"You could not have saved be, George" the voice answered back. George tried to ignore it, believing it was his own brain messing with him.

"I'm so sorry you had to suffer so bad" George cried. Tears were streaming down his face, his body was numb.

"I passed quickly, George. I didn't feel any pain"

George wanted to use the voice as comfort. Even if it was just his mind, it was Fred's voice. It didn't help him from feeling empty, though.

"I can't live without you..."

The wind blew strong in his hair, rougher, colder, almost freezing.

"You will, stop that!"

The voice wasn't angry, but definatly upset. For a second, when he turned his head, he thought his eyes met his brothers. An almost fading face, eyes staring at him with a serious expression. George couldn't breathe. Just as fast as it had appeared, it was gone again.

_Shadows linger  
Only to my eye  
I see you, I feel you  
Don't leave my side  
It's not fair  
Just when I found my world  
They took you, they broke you, they tore out your heart_

He didn't know what to feel at that moment. He wished he could just fade away and be forgotten, so he wouldn't cause anyone the pain Fred's death was causing him.

He barely noticed his parents and siblings enter the room. Two days it had been since the war, and they had all tried to talk to him, but it was hard. Not only because he wouldn't answer, but for him reminding them of Fred. It was especially hard for their mother.

"We're having tea in here today" Molly Weasley said in a quiet, but friendly tone. He just nodded, still shocked by what he had seen.

He noticed Harry was there, but Hermione wasn't.

"Where's Hermione?"

They stared at him for a moment. His first few words in two days.

"She's looking for her parents" Ron answered. " I offered to go with her, but she wanted me to stay with the family"

George just nodded and felt his sister hugging him from the side. He just put his arm around her, knowing he could not hug her back if he had no comfort to give back to her. He shrugged as he saw a glowing shadowy figure in the corner to the left of him. He could clearly see it was Fred standing there, leaning against the wall with his hands down his pockets, smirking at him in that way he always did.

"It's Fred!" he said out loud, pointing to the corner. He could see Fred turn his head to look at his family.

"George..."

His father gave him an unhappy look.

"Can't you see him? Look!"

Arthur Weasley turned his face towards the empty corner, just to please his son.

"They can't see me. Only you can" Fred said, looking at his twin.

"Why?" George asked, making his mother tremble with worry.

"George, there's no one there" Ginny said, stroking his arm.

_I miss you, you hurt me  
You left with a smile  
Mistaken, your sadness  
Was hiding inside  
Now all that's left  
Are the pieces to find  
The mystery you kept  
The soul behind a guise_

"Why are you doing this, Fred?" George asked, feeling the lump return in his throat.

"They sent me to make sure you don't hurt yourself. It's not your time"

He just stared at Fred, feeling angry.

"You think I can live knowing I will never see you again?"

This time, Arthur Weasley got up and grebbed George's arms.

"George, maybe you should go to bed?"

"No! You don't understand..." George answered in a hurt mumble. His eyes were glittering, which made his father release his grip.

"He's dead, George. And Fred is not a ghost"

George swallowed and looked over his father's shoulder, staring at Fred.

"When you're ready, I'll come and get you. Now, you must take care of them for me. And Angelina too"

It sank in. While tears slowly rolled down his face, he nodded, making Fred disappear.

_Why did you go?  
All these questions run through my mind  
I wish I couldn't feel at all  
Let me be numb  
I'm starting to fall_

George looked at his father.

"I'm sorry..." he began, but Arthur just shook his head, gently patting his son's back.

"I know you're hurt, George. We're all hurt. Just understand that you're not alone. He was my son, I know what it is like to feel like you've lost a part of you"

George slowly nodded, and hugged his father. Molly came to join them, charing the sorrow with the son she almost lost as well.

"Just stay with us, dear" she said. "We'll get through this somehow, but we need eachother"

George bent down and hugged his mother tightly. He cried against her shoulder.

"I promise, mum. I promise I will try"

_Where are you?  
I need you  
Don't leave me here on my own  
Speak to me  
Be near me  
I can't survive unless I know you're with me_

Where are you?  
_Where are you?  
_

He somehow felt Fred hug him back. A feeling of calm went through the house as they all sat down, not scared of talking about Fred.

"Remember your first prank?" Molly said smiling, wiping away her tears. How could he forget? He had thought aout it minutes ago.

"Yes, I'll never forget" he said, and something simular to a smile spread across his face.

"Poor Ron" Molly mumbled, looking at her youngest son, who couldn't help but to shake his head and hope it would never happen again.

"It wasn't _that_ big though" George said, referring to the rubber spider.

"It was bigger than my head" Ron shrieked, making them all laugh.

Molly Weasley went to the bookshelf, and came back with a big photo album. She sat down in the middle of the couch, everyone squeezing beside her to get a good look.

George knew Fred was still there, and as he turned his head to the left, he saw his brother's faded, blueish figure look into the album too, with a laugh etched upon his face.

He had died laughing. George knew it couldn't have been a better way for him to die, still, it had been too soon, and he was happy his brother's spirit would be around for a while.

_You were smiling_


End file.
